"Hey, Granger." A voice called from behind her, where she sat in the library.

Looking around, Hermione saw Blaise Zabini walking towards her from between the book shelves. Raising an eyebrow she turned in her chair to face him. "Listen, Granger. You need to tell me what the bloody hell you did to Drake."

"Excuse me?" She asked, taken aback.

"He says you're… friends, now." He practically spat the words.

"And so we are. Is something wrong with that?" She snapped indignantly.

"You're a mudblood. That's what's wrong. A waste of life. A Gryffindor, no less." Blaise replied. "You're just a bloody know-it-all. Look, I'll be nice when Draco is around, but I don't have to actually agree with anything, or be nice to you. Just know that whatever you did, he doesn't actually care. I've figured out his little plot. Just know that Weasel and Potty will get what's coming to them."

Hermione gaped at his retreating form as he left the library. Her eyes were watery, and she practically threw her belongings into her bag and ran out of the library.

HGDM

Later that afternoon, Hermione and Malfoy were sitting out in the courtyard again. Actually, Hermione was pacing and looking at him in a highly confused and irritated manner, while Malfoy sat on the bench she had occupied the day before, watching her bemusedly.

"What's got your kickers in a twist, then?" He sniggered lightly.

"Blaise Zabini, that's what!" She snapped, glaring daggers at him.

"What?" He asked, sitting up a bit more, looking confused.

"Some best friend you've got." She muttered.

"Says you, Granger. Look what your so-called best friend did to you!" Draco replied, standing. "Potter wouldn't even back you up when the Weasel was a git."

"Don't go there. Harry doesn't want to choose sides! At least Ronald never called me a.."

"A what?" He asked quietly, already knowing the answer.

"A mudblood. A waste of life. A Gryffindor know-it-all." She practically hissed, tears leaking out of her eyes. "He said there was a plot against Ron and Harry."

"Now who has this plot?"

"You! Why are you doing this for me? Or is it even for me? Seems like you enjoyed ridiculing Ronald." She began, stopping and setting her hands on her hips as she glared at him. He began to respond but she raised her eyebrows warningly. "Don't interrupt me. I'm not condoning what Ronald did, but perhaps you just want back at him for everything he and Harry have done to you."

"Are you done..?" He asked after a moment. She nodded slowly, feeling more and more foolish as time passed. "Well then." He stood up slowly, watching her carefully. "What if I were to tell you I'm helping you because of how he treated you, not because of what he's done to me?"

"I'd call you a liar. We can't stand each other. I went to you as someone who I knew could drive others insane." She shrugged. "You think of me the same way Blaise does." She refused to say his wretched comments again.

"Well, then you'd be wrong - for once." He smirked at her, almost like a friend would when teasing. "Look, we may not get on well. You're not a waste of life, or any of those things Blaise said. He's biased. All Slytherins are - they're raised that way. I may not be the best guy, but I am dead set against guys who treat their girlfriends or wives like crap. My father did awful things to my mother, and it's driven me crazy to know I couldn't stop it, no matter what I did. I don't believe in treating women as anything less than what they deserve to be treated like - Queens. I don't care if guys don't agree with me. If you love the girl, treat her like you do. Not as someone who you beat daily.." He paused for a moment, then focused back on her, saying, "Or, in the Weasel's case, making her do your homework because you're too stupid."

Hermione started at him in awe for a moment, then felt an overwhelming urge to hug him. He looked like he needed someone for him right then, so she walked to the bench and sat down, and watched him as he walked over to sit beside her silently.

"Malfoy… Draco, I'm sorry. Honestly. You know, don't you, that if we had known these things from the beginning, we'd have felt differently.."

"I don't care how you felt about me. I was a jerk. It's how I was raised. I learned to stuff myself into a corner, shut people out of my life. If I'd told you, things would have been worse. I'm helping you because.. because you don't deserve to be treated like that."

"Because I'm a woman? Or because I'm…me?" She asked slowly.

"…Both." He decided eventually.

Smiling to herself, Hermione folded her hands in her lap and looked at the courtyard stones at her feet.

HGDM

"Hermione, are you mental?" Ginny asked at the Gryffindor table that night during dinner.

"What makes you think that?" She asked, annoyed.

"Well, you're staring at Malfoy, for one." Ginny said, looking astounded.

"Oh." Hermione said, looking at Ginny in shock. "I.. Didn't realize. I sort of… zoned out." She frowned.

"Sure you did, Mione." Ginny rolled her eyes. "Look. Something is going on between you. What is it?"

"We're.. friends." Hermione replied softly, smiling a bit.

Ginny stared at her best friend for a few more moments before grinning secretly to herself, standing, and claiming she needed to get her books from the dormitory and leaving.

Hermione watched Ginny leave, relatively suspicious, but not bothering to worry about her friend too much. Ginny often got crazy ideas in her head. Hermione knew that much.

As she looked up, she caught Malfoy looking back at her. He gave a slight smile and a wave. Ronald turned a bright shade of red, having seen the exchange from a few seats down. Hermione refused to be too close to him anymore.

"What was that, Hermione?" He asked.

"Nothing you need to worry about, Ronald." She replied, raising her chin a bit and looking away. When she glanced back at the Slytherin table, Malfoy was no longer there. She blinked in confusion, until she heard Ron let out an annoyed grunt, and looked behind her. "Draco." She said brightly.

"Hermione," he nodded to her. "..Weasel."

"Back off, Ferret." Ron grumbled.

"Just ignore him." Hermione said to Draco. "Did you need something?"

"I was curious as to if you'd be interested it going for a walk before curfew?" He questioned, looking completely confident in her desire to agree. She knew he was just doing it to mess with Ron's head.

"Well, whatever for?" She asked, trying to throw him off, just for her own amusement.

"I was hoping to ask you about the potions homework." He shrugged.

"Can't you do that in a, oh, I don't know, library, Malfoy?" Ron asked.

"Shove off, git." Draco glared at him fiercely. "What do you say, then, Hermione?"

"Of course, Draco. I'd love to." She shrugged, smiling.